Engine starting apparatus



Nov. 9, 1937. CHARTER 2,098,226

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Filed June 27, 1952 i wafgpey W Patented Nov. 9, 1937 PATENT OFFICE,

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS James A. Charter, Chicago, Ill., minor to Charter Automatic Starter Inc., Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Illinois ApplicatlonUnne 27, 1932, Serial No. 819,585

2 Claims.

My invention relates generally to starting apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for automatically controlling the starting of internal combustion engines.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide improved practical means controlled in response to the actuation of an engine driven element for automatically affecting a starting circult.

More specifically, my invention contemplates an improved device, as set forth above, which is centrifugally operated to control the functioning 01 said starting circuit, and to this end I r propose to provide in combination with a starting circuit, improved means automatically shiftable in response to the action of centrifugal force to render said starting circuit functionally inoperative.

Another object of my invention is to provide a starting apparatus which includes a contact member or element rotatable about an axis and shiftable with respect thereto suiliciently to render a starting circuit functionally inoperative when the engine associated therewith becomes 26 self-actuated.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a centrifugally operated contact element. such as a swinging arm, shiitable meniscus or globule of mercury within a passageway, or a shiftable metallic element or ball within a passageway for controlling the operative functioning of a starting circuit.

Still more specifically, my invention contemplates the combination of a shiftable contact element or control member with the rotary portion of the distributor of an internal combustion engine, the rotation of the distributor serving to atfect the position of the contact element associated therewith, whereby to control the functioning of a starting circuit.

The foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing,

wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevational view, shown partly in section, of a distributor which is equipped with a circuit controlling mechanism constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line H of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating my improved system of starter control;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a modified circuit controlling device which includes a pair of adjustably tiltable tubes containing a shiitable mercury contact element;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-8 of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 discloses still another modification which includes a metallic ball shiitable within the passageway of a tubular member.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will be seen that my invention contemplates the provision of a circuit controlling device which is designated generally by the. numeral ill, Figure 1. For the purpose or illustrating one practical application or combination, I have shown this control mechanism ill in operative association with a conventional distributor head or mechanism l2.

Inasmuch as the electrical function of the'dis tributor i2 forms no part of the present invention, no specific disclosure nor description thereof is presented in this application. It will suffice to say that the distributor mechanism includes a suitable casing i4 connected to ground through a conductor l5, and a central vertical drive shaft it which connects at its upper extremity with distributor elements (not shown).

The circuit control mechanism Ill includes a metallic disk I8 which is mounted upon and rotatable with the shaft it, it being understood 0! course that this shaft is driven in any suitable manner from the internal combustion engine 20 with which it is associated. A commutator or contact ring 22 is insulated from the shaft I6 and the disk l8 by suitable insulating members 24, 26, and 28, Figure 1. Contacting with the peripheral surface of the commutator 22 in response to the action of a coil spring 30 is a contact plunger or brush I2. This brush 32 is shiftable within a metallic sleeve 34 which is insulated from the casing l4 by a suitable insulating block 36 and is adapted to be electrically connected by means of a conductor 38 with a circuit, later to be described.

Mounted upon the upper surface of the disk It, as disclosed in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, is a contact element or roller 40, which is mounted at the free end oi an arm 42, said arm being pivotally secured to the disk 18 by means of a pin 44, Figures 2 and 3. A collar 46, Figure 2, cooperates -to maintain the arm 42 substantially ac es parallel to the click it. The contact element or roller ill is constantly urged tow a copanion contact member or terminal dd through the action oi a coil spring dd, which is interposed between the arm ill and a pin ht carried by the dislr id The contact memher or terminaltii is sulated iromthe dislrit clearly shown in Figure 2: and is electrically connected and secured to the commutator "it by means of a threaded shank A stop pin it, Figure 3, is provided to limit the outward movement of the arm All when said arm. is automatically swung outwardly as the shaft rotates.

it will be apparent from the ioregoing description that, when the shaft it is at rest, the spring h causes the roller or contact element it to contact with the terminal it. However, when the engine it becomes sell-actuated, the speed of rotation of the shalt it is scient to cause the roller it to swing outwardly to the dotted position shown in Figure 3 against the action oi the spring ht, thereby breaking contact with the terminal til. hearing this description oi the control mechanism in mind, i shall now refer to the circuit diagram shown in Figure t. I have indicated the control mechanism it diagrammatically, and it will he seen that the contact member or terminal it is electrically mected through the commutator ring it, the bh it, the sleeve and the conductor it with one side of a contactor it through the coil oi an electro-magnet lit. The other .side oi the cohtactor ht connects with one side of a hey operated switch it through a conductor hey operated switch ti corresponds with the conventionm hey operated switches now commonly employed on the dash in automobiles, and it will be seen that the other side oi this switch is connected to one terminal of a battery til, the other terminal of said battery being connected to ground. lit will also be noted that the contactor is normally open, and that it is closed only when a clutch loot pedal til is depressed. Closing the contactor lit in response to the shifting oi the pedal til causes the electromagnet it to be energised provided that the contact roller or element ill occupies its contacting position shown in Figures 3 and Energizing the electro-magnet till causes a plunger "ill to be shifted to the left, Figure i, thereby electrically bridging the gap between a pair oi electrical terminals l2 and it by means of a contact memher it. This causes a starting motor it to be electrically connected with the battery td.

When the motor lil has actuated tor a sumcient length oi time to render the motor or engine it self-actuated, the speed at which the distributor I shaft it is rotating. will be siificient to edect the outward shifting of the centrifugal contact element til, therehy breahing the circuit through the electro-rnagnet lid and causing the automatic disengagement of the contacting member it through the action oi a coil spring hit. The subsequent closing of the contactor Ed, due to the manipulation of the clutch pedal ill, will have no edect upon the starting circuit as long as the engine maintains its normal running speed. However, should the engine stall, the contact element or roller it will suddenly contact with the terminal it, thereby conditioning the electro-m'agnet til for operation when the contactor lid is closed. In other words, the centriiugal contact element dd is movable about the aids oi the shalt it and driven in response to the actuation oi the engine in such a manner that it will shift ciently to 5 render the starting circuit functionally inoperatlve when the engine ,becomeaseli-actuated, but will automatically condition the electro-magnet for closing the starting circuit when the speed oi the engine is arrested. 7

In Figure 5 l have disclosed a slightly modified control device indicated generally by the numoral ills. This device Mill includes a pair of similar mechanisms iii disposed diametrically opposite each other on a dish its. Each of these mechanisms ti includes a tube it provided with an elongated passageway containing a meniscus or globule of mercury tile. When the disk ills is at rest, the mercury maintains the position shown in Figure 6, thereby electrically connecting a pair oi conductors the and idol. The conductor ilta corresponds to the previously described conductor ht shown in Figure d, which serves to connect the contactelement til with one side of the electro-magnet ht, and the conductor i5c cor responds with the conductor it shown in Figure l, which serves to connect the entire distributor mechanism including the disk its to ground. Thus it will be apparent that when the dish its is at rest, the circuit including the electromagnet lid is conditioned for operation upon the closing of the contactor ht. Likewise, as rotation is experienced by the disk lea, when the engine becomes self-actuated, the mercury globule control of the starting circuit regardless oi the inclination oi the dish its with respect to a horiaontai plane. Thus, ii the dish its is employed upon an automobile and said automohile becomes stalled on a hill, one of the mechanisms ill. will function to insure contact between the terminals of the conductors its and tile. Should only one mechanism be employed, conditions may arise in which the mercury will not automatically iiow to the end of the tube containing the conductors,

and under such conditions the electro-magnet' would not be conditioned for efiecting the subsequent closing of the starting circuit. By employing a pair of these mechanisms or, however, the above mentioned dimculty is entirely obviated.

in Figure '2 a slightly modified mechanism is disclosed which it have designated generally by the numeral The mechanism is similar in every respect to the mechanism ti, with the euception that the shiftable centrifugal contact element iiib is a metallic ball instead oi a giobule of mercury. In all other respects the device operates similarly to the mechanism lit; and I employ a pair of such devices in the manner shown in Figure 5.

From the foregoing it will he apparent that my invention contemplates the provision oi a simple and improved control apparatus, in which a shiitabie contact element is centriiugally controlled to eflect the opening oi a starting circuit. It will be apparent that the elements M, we, and till) will shift when the engine becomes selfactuated, so as to render the starting circuit functionally inoperative. 'ihese contact elements are conveniently arranged so as to automaticallv condition an electro-magnct or other suitable device to effect the closing 01 the starting circuit when the actuation of the engine is arrested. My improved control mechanism is of extremely simple construction and adapted to be installed without dismantling motor parts and with a minimum amount of skill and eflort.

Obviously other modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and said invention should only be limited by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In starting mechanism for internal combustion engines and the like,'a drive shaft, a supporting plate mounted on said shaft in a plane at right angles to the axis of said shaft, a plurality of tubes each adapted to contain a body of mercury, a body of mercury in each tube, mountings for said tubes allowing rotation thereof about a horizontal axis, said tubes being secured by said mountings about said shaft on said plate in outwardly and upwardly slanted positions in planes parallel to the axis of said shaft and coincident with tangents to a circle concentric with said shaft but smaller than said plate, screw adjusting means carried by said mountings for varying the upward slant of said tubes, and a pair 01 contacts in the inner and lower end of each tube and adapted to be connected by the body of mercury therein, said bodies of mercury connecting said contacts when said plate is stationary or rotating at less than a selected speed, and leaving said contacts to remove the connection therebetween upon a sudden acceleration of the rotation of said plate or upon said plate rotating at more than said selected speed.

2. In starting mechanism for internal combustion engines and the like, a drive shaft, a supporting plate mounted on said shaft in a plane at right angles to the axis of said shaft, a plurality of tubes each adapted to contain a body of mercury, a body of mercury in each tube, said tubes being mounted about said shaft on said plate in outwardly and upwardly slanted positions in planes parallel to the axis of said shaft and coincident with tangents to a circle concentric with said shaft but smaller than said plate, and a pair of contacts in the inner and lower end of each tube and adapted to be connected by the body of mercury therein, said bodies of mercury connecting said contacts when said plate is stationary or rotating at less than a selected speed, and leaving said contacts to remove the connection therebetween upon a sudden acceleration of the rotation of said plate or upon said plate rotating at more than said selected speed.

JAMES A. CHARTER. 

